Hernial truss.



G. A. MCMILLEN.

HERNIAL TRUSS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30. 1914.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET i.

G. A. McMILLEN.

HERNIAL TRUSS.

'APPLICATION mwxuuzso. 1914.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

2 SHEET$SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPII 60., WASHINGTON, n. c.

4 maven sans earn marine.

GEORGE A. IVICMILLEN, OF ALTON, ILLINOIS.

I-IERNIAL TBUSS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 30, 1914. Serial No. 848,289.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. MOMILLEN, a citizen of the United States, residin'g'at Alton, in'the county of Madison and State of Illinois, have invented new. and useful Improvements in Hernial Trusses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hernial trusses, the primary object of the invention being to provide a truss in which the truss pad is adjustable at difierent angles in a ready and convenient manner to bear properly upon and support the rupture, and in which the back pad is automatically adj ustable upon the person of the wearer there 7 by providing a truss which is suflicient in use and may be comfortably wor A further object of the invention is to pro vide a truss in which novel means for supporting and adjusting the truss pad are employed, together with a "retaining spring adapted to be tensioned as desired, and which is designed to act upon the pad support, when the pad is properly adjusted, to maintain the pad firmly in contact with the rupture.

A still further object of the inventionis to provide an automatically adjustable back pad or pressure disk which is connected with the supporting spring in such a way as to provide for its adjustment in an automatic manner, and to maintain its position when proper adjustment is secured.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein fully. described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a truss constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an outer side elevation of the end of the truss carrying the hernial pad. Fig. 3 is a similar View. of the opposite endof the truss carrying the back pad. ig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectionthrough the bracket and other parts of the hernial pad supporting means shown in F igs. 2 and 4. Fig. 6 is a detail transverse section on line 6-6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 isa detail view of the parts of the hernial padsupport disassociated and arranged in proper relation. Figs. 8 and 9 are longitudinal and transverse sections through the back pad and cooperating parts. Fig. 10 is a View of the adj a-' cent end of the supporting spring and the terial, and 3 designates the truss pad, which may be made of hard rubber or other preferred material. g

The end portion or circular'stem 4 of the spring 1, which carries the pad 3, has a back turned or hook shaped outer end 5, forming a stop to limit the outward movement of a supporting bracket 6, and to prevent displacement thereof. 7 This bracket 6 has a body portion 7 in the form of a sleeve which slidably and rotatably engages the end 4 of the spring 1 and said sleeve is formed at its ends with inwardly extending parallel arms 8, between which extends a stem 9, carrying a spherical ball or head 10. This head 10 fits within a socket formed by thepartially spherical endsll of bracket pieces or jaws l2 and 18, united by a clamping screw 14. I

The jaw 13 is suitably fixed to the back of the pad 3, as by means of fastening screws 15,'while the bracket piece l2 is detachable or adjustable by slacking or, removing the screw 14, so that the frictional engagement between the bracket pieces and head 10 may be varied or the parts disassembled when occasion requires. The end of the bracket piece 12 opposite the socket forming jaw thereof is provided with a spacing lug 16 which bears against the bracket piece 13, whereby said bracketpiece 13 is prevented from tilting on the clamping screw, so that the frictional pressure upon the head 10 may remain fixed after adjustment is made. It

will be obvious that a ball and socket joint connection between the bracket and pad 3 is provided which adapts the pad to be adjusted in two planes at right angles to each other, longitudinally and transversely of the end 4 of the spring 1, so that it may be ar-. ranged to bear in the most efiective manner against the rupture. V V

The inner arm 8 of the bracket 6 is i This disk or pad has a slightly recessed rear V ap midmay j f ny desired number,

formed'with a'socket 17 to receive one end of a coiled pressure spring 18 the oppo-- site end 19 of which is adapted to engage any one of a series of notches 20 in a retaining member or ring 21 fitted upon the end 4, which ring is clamped in adjusted position by a set screw 22, by means of which the ring is normally held fromrotation. The spring acts upon the bracket 6 to hold the pad 3 with the desired pressure against the afiected part, which pressure from the bracket.

It will be observed that the construction described, in addition to allowing pivotal motion of the bracket on the supporting spring, also allows a limited cushioned endwise motion thereof controlled by the spring 18, so that the'pad may perfectly adjust itself to the person of the wearer and will then be held in proper position by the pres sure'of'the spring 18. By' means of the se- 7 ries of adjustments afforded it is also ob vious that the pad may be disposed to bear I atthe exact angle required and also with the proper. degree of pressure against the rupture, so that it will hold the rupture in place without annoyance or discomfort to the wearer.

The opposite end 24 of the supporting spring 1 carries a back pad or disk 25, made of hard rubber or other suitable material.

face provided with a cross piece 26 to which is secured a connecting plate 27 and a clip 28. The clip 28 has a U-shaped central portion forming a guide for the end or stem 24 of'the spring 1, and its end portions are 7 apertured for the passage of screws 29,

which also pass through the plate 27 and enter the cross'piece 26 and thereby fasten the parts in position; The 'clip 28 slidably and rotatably engages the end 2 1, to permit the pad 25 to have a longitudinal'as well as a rotary adjusting movement, the rotary movement allowing the pad to be set at the proper bearing angle upon the supporting spring. For the purpose of limiting .the

; inward movement of the pad 25 the plate 27 is formed with a stop 30, and in order 7 to provide for theyielding retention of the back pad in adjusted position the plate is formed] with a depression 31 and the end 24: of the spring is notched to provide projections 32 to engage said depression. These projections'aredisposed a desired distance according to the desired extent of sliding movement of the back pad, and it will be understood that when the pad is in contact with the bowed end 2 1 of the spring it is permitted to have automatic adjusting motion so that the pad may be disposed in the proper relative position. The projections 82 are adapted to yieldingly and frictionally engage the depression 31 so that the pad will be normally held in position but under determined pressure the spring end 24L may adjust itself with relation to the pad.

' In the form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 11, the back pad 88 carries a clip 3 1 which slidably and pivotally engages the end 35 of the spring 1. In this construction the spring consists of a flat steel strip, and the end 35 is in the form of a stem secured thereto and projecting therefrom. The outer end of the stem is provided with a stop 36 to limit the outward motion of the pad, while the extremity of the flat spring proper forms a stop 37 to limit the inward movement of the pad, which is thus rendered relatively adjustable upon the end of the spring.

In Fig. 12 I have shown a modification in the means for supporting the pad 3, in which the sleeve 6 is provided with a central stem 9 projecting at right angles therefrom and carrying a spherical ball or head 10 which serves the same function as the ball or head 10.

I claim 1. A truss including a supporting spring having a circular stem or end portion provided with a back-turned or hook shaped extremity, a stop adjustably mounted upon said stem in spaced relation to said hooked extremity, a bracket slidably and pivotally mounted upon the stem between said stop and hooked extremity, a pad carried by the bracket, and a coiled spring surrounding the stem and terminally engaging said bracket and stop and adapted to be tensioned by the latter, said springs serving to control both the pivotal and sliding motions of said bracket.

2. A truss including a supporting spring having a circular stem or end portion, a bracket comprising a sleeve slidably and pivotally engagingsaid stem, said bracket having laterally extending parallel arms at one end thereof and a stem connecting said arms and provided with a spherical head, stop members upon the stem between which the bracket is slidably movable, a spring terminally engaged with the bracket and one of said stops, and adjustable by the latter to regulate the tension, and a pad pivotally supported upon the stem of the bracket 7 3. Ahernial truss including a supporting spring, a supporting bracket thereon provided with a spherical head, a truss pad, a In testimony whereof I aflix my signature jaw securedhto the padfi and a second java in presence of two Witnesses. securednto t e pad and rst-named jaw an provided with a spacing 111g maintaining GEORGE MCMILLEN the spaced relationship of said jaws, said Witnesses: jaws forming a socket engaging said spheri- H. R. ARMOUR, cal head. W. W. LOWE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

